Archive of Our Own ^beta

Tenzo stood in front of the mirror. His jounin uniform fit him perfectly, almost as if it was tailored to his body. He had never worn it before. He hadn't even taken the jounin test . Thankfully, his Anbu status made him automatically jounin rank when he stepped out into the light. 

So here he was, standing in his bathroom staring at himself… Yamato . He hated the name. It wasn't him. He was Tenzo . Kakashi had given him that name.

Ah. But Kakashi wasn't going to be there. He had been injured, and there was some sort of important mission his team had been hired for. Tenzo didn't know a single thing about kids… yet Tsunade had assured him that he was the best option for this. Tenzo sighed, finally deciding to just get this over with and head to the meeting spot. 

~

Tenzo already knew this was going to be terrible before he revealed his presence. He was walking down the road, and could see Kakashi's team fighting on the small bridge. The three boys were rolling around on the ground hitting each other, while the pink haired girl kicked at them from a standing position. Tenzo sighed again, pausing to watch the situation unfold. 

"Are you Kakashi's temp?" A deep voice spoke out beside him. Tenzo remained still, his Anbu training keeping him from being caught off guard. He turned to look at the man, who he knew to be named Asuma. "Yes. I am Yamato." 

Asuma hummed, head turning towards the bridge while his own small team of genin waited behind him. "I'm Asuma. You've certainly got your work cut out for you. I don't mean to scare you off, but I'm surprised Lady fifth was able to find someone to take over for him. Kakashi… is a strange guy. I've never seen anyone handle a team the way he does." 

Tenzo nodded politely, offering the stranger a smile. "So I've heard. I'm sure it will be fine." He replied, though he had a terrible feeling that it really wouldn't be. 

After he made it to the bridge, it took 5 minutes for Tenzo to break up the fight. The three boys, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sai, seemed determined to battle it out for some unknown reason. The girl, Sakura, seemed to be encouraging them instead of stopping them. 

Their first day of travel was filled with loud arguments, and lots of threats from Tenzo. It didn't work. Every five minutes there was something . Something to rile them all up all over again. Once they set up camp for the night, Tenzo noticed that all four of them kept their tents very close together. Even with the fighting, they appeared to have a strange attachment to each other. Tenzo huffed in annoyance. This was going to be a bigger pain in the ass than he expected. 

He settled down in his own tent, hoping that the bickering would remain on pause until at least the morning.

~

Tenzo sprung through the trees, his Anbu uniform moving fluidly with his every motion. He and Kakashi had been separated for a whole day, and it was grating on his nerves. Kakashi was different than any captain he had ever served under, and he could feel it shaping him, grooming him into something different. 

Finally, he reached the clearing they were supposed to meet in, and Kakashi leapt down from one of the surrounding trees gracefully. His captain walked up to him immediately, using one hand to firmly grab the nape of his neck as he gently butted their heads together. It was calming. Kakashi was in control here. He always was, even as he ever-so-slightly rubbed his cheek in Tenzo's hair. His captain was making sure that Tenzo still smelled like part of the pack, even after so many hours away. The strong grip on his neck kept him grounded, and the pleased growl rumbling in Kakashi's chest soothed his elevated heart rate. 

"You did a good job, Tenzo." 

Tenzo's eyes popped open quickly, the shock of dreaming about his past with Kakashi forcing all of his air out in one large exhale. 

He had forgotten. How could he forget?

Kakashi's family was closely related to wolves. Even when he was in Anbu, his team wasn't just a team. They were his pack, and he acted as such. 

It wasn't that far of a stretch to think that Kakashi was doing the same with his genin. He groaned at the realization. They were fighting because their leader was gone. 

Surely, three years with the copy ninja would change anyone . These kids had been ten when Kakashi was assigned to them. Four impressionable children, exposed to a ninja that was sometimes more wolf than he was man. 

Tenzo wished he had thought of it before. 

No wonder Tsunade chose him for this mission. 

Tenzo was the only member of Team Ro that was left, other than Kakashi himself. He was the last person alive (that wasn't a traitor) who had been on a team with the man. He was the only other person that understood what Kakashi was like. 

In reality, he knew Kakashi had dulled his instincts while they were in Anbu. It showed every time they were alone. Kakashi wasn't afraid to be himself when it was just Tenzo around. 

He was certain that it had everything to do with his entire first pack being killed. 

It seemed that Kakashi had lost those reservations when he was presented with four children. Four pups to take care of. 

~

Tenzo was awake and ready when the first signs of fighting broke out in the morning. Naruto and Sasuke were going at it, screaming and punching each other. Tenzo was there before Sai or Sakura could join in, gripping each boy by the base of their necks and separating them with a low growl. 

It was silent. Both boys were so shocked that they just stared up at him with wide eyes, while their other two teammates kept their distance. "You two need to stop." Tenzo spoke softly, squeezing his hands the smallest amount to reinforce his order. Both small bodies wilted immediately, reverting back to the pack hierarchy. If Tenzo was supposed to act as team lead in Kakashi's absence, he needed to act as pack leader as well. "Good. Thank you." He praised them, releasing their necks. Sasuke backed away quickly, but Naruto remained close. Tenzo rewarded the action, reaching out and petting the unruly blond hair affectionately. All of the tension left Naruto's tiny form, and when Tenzo looked up again, the other three were moving closer. Tenzo chuckled, meeting them all halfway to give them attention as well, patting their heads and consequently rubbing his scent on them. He wasn't using his face, because he was only a stand-in. His scent wouldn't overpower Kakashi's this way, but it would mark them as his for the time being. 

The rest of the day went much smoother, and when night came around, Tenzo had them all crammed into his larger tent. He was certain they had only slept separately the night before because they didn't want Tenzo to judge them. Of course he wouldn't have… but they had no way of knowing that. Now, Tenzo gave them each a little attention before laying down to get some rest. 

~

Their mission had gone a bit south. The item they had been sent to deliver was almost stolen from them by missing nin, but Tenzo had successfully protected his surrogate pups. 

Honestly, he was surprised how easy it was to fall back into the pack mindset. The urge to protect these kids had been stronger than he had felt it since Kakashi had been his captain. 

Truthfully, he missed it. He missed belonging to Kakashi. It also didn't help that he had developed feelings for the man right before he had been forcefully ejected from Anbu. 

With quite a bit of effort on Tenzo's part, the item was delivered and all four of the children were unharmed. 

~

They walked up to the village gates, and Kakashi was there, pacing impatiently. They were late, having been held up by the missing nin, and Tenzo could tell that Kakashi wasn't happy. 

Once he caught a hint of their scent, Kakashi was in front of the kids instantly, checking them over for injuries and rubbing his masked face in their hair. He paused, nose buried deep in Sai's black hair. Kakashi inhaled sharply, his lone eye suddenly flicking towards Tenzo. The Anbu hadn't taken offense when his ex-captain hadn't greeted him. Now, he realized that Tsunade hadn't even told the guy who she was leaving his team with. 

"Tenzo?" Kakashi spoke breathily, releasing the young boy from his grip. Tenzo nodded, hoping Kakashi wouldn't take offense to his scent lingering all over his pups. He had tried to keep his claim as light as possible, which apparently is why Kakashi hadn't immediately noticed it. 

"Why are you late?" He asked carefully, speaking slowly in a way that made Tenzo quite nervous. Deep in his heart, Kakashi was a predator. One whose pups Tenzo had just taken out into the wild and returned late . 

"Kakashi-sensei! It was so cool!" Naruto shouted. "These guys showed up out of nowhere and tried to steal the gold we were carrying, and Captain Yamato fought them off! One of them almost caught Sakura, but he hit him with a giant tree!" The boy explained excitedly. 

Sasuke, one of the smarter ones of the bunch, chose that moment to speak up. "He protected us, Kakashi. We're fine." 

Sakura and Sai both nodded enthusiastically, and Kakashi's shoulders relaxed the smallest amount. 

Tenzo blushed, thankful that the children hadn't turned on him as soon as their real leader had returned. Kakashi continued to assess him for another moment, his eyes looking Tenzo over for injuries as well. 

The older man approached him, slowly, but not in a way that made him look nervous. He moved slowly simply because he could, and it made Tenzo's heartbeat that much faster. 

Tenzo turned his head away from the man, exposing his neck, deferring his leadership to him, and showing submission in the only way he could. Kakashi let out a pleasant rumble, one that Tenzo hadn't heard in years , and it was almost enough to make his eyes glaze over in relief. The kids remained silent as Kakashi gripped the back of Tenzo's neck, pushing his nose into the skin of his neck that Tenzo had offered. 

"Tenzo." He breathed into the fabric of his shirt, scenting him properly for the first time in years. 

"I-it's Yamato now." Tenzo murmured, even as Kakashi tightened his grip on him. 

The older man chuckled darkly. "No. You've always been Tenzo. You've always been my Tenzo." Kakashi answered possessively, leaning all his weight on him. Tenzo couldn't hide the shudder that moved through his body, a small whine escaping his lips. "Senpai." 

~

Tsunade was less than pleased when Kakashi strolled in with them to give their mission report. "You should be in bed!" She shouted at Kakashi. 

"Maa… I needed to ensure my pups were fine. You didn't even inform me who was taking over my team." Kakashi spoke softly. 

Tsunade snapped her pen in half. "I don't need to tell you anything if I don't want to." 

"Actually, that's not true." Kakashi said with a sly grin hiding beneath his mask. "We both know that the law takes my pack rights very seriously. I have every right to know who you are sending my pack away with."

Tsunade huffed, and Tenzo fought to hide a chuckle. Apparently, Tsunade was willing to admit when she had been defeated. "Fine. Next time, I will inform you." 

"There won't be a next time, because I'm keeping Tenzo on my team." Kakashi stated simply. Tenzo's eyes snapped to his captain. They hadn't discussed this at all . It wasn't that Tenzo was adverse to the idea… in fact, he would quit being a ninja altogether if it meant staying by Kakashi's side. But if they had discussed it previous to this moment… they probably could have come up with a better plan than simply telling the Hokage how it was going to be. 

Tsunade simply stared at Kakashi, dumbfounded. "You… what?"  

Kakashi crossed his arms. "I need to keep him on. I need his help suppressing Naruto's chakra while we train, and he is part of my pack. I was willing to let him go the first time… but I can't do that ever again." 

Tsunade narrowed her eyes before looking back to the children. "You four are excused. Make yourself scarce." She growled out, her hands fisted tightly on her desk. 

Kakashi turned to the pups. "See you at home." He commented. Somehow, Tenzo wasn't surprised that Kakashi had his pack living with him. Would he be asked to move in as well, assuming Tsunade didn't kill them both after this conversation?

Once the children were out of the line of fire, Tsunade turned her attention back on Kakashi. "What the hell are you talking about, Hatake?" 

"Tenzo is part of my pack. He was mine back when we were in Anbu. More than anyone else. But… Sandaime made me leave the Anbu, and I thought it was best if I just let Tenzo go. I didn't think I deserved to have a family. Now… I've got a family, and it only seems right that Tenzo gets to be part of it too." Kakashi explained, showing more emotion than Tenzo had ever seen. It warmed his heart. Kakashi had never meant to let him go. Kakashi didn't abandon him. 

"Plus… I am the only one who can suppress Naruto's jinchuriki chakra. If he intends to get stronger, I need to help him learn to control it." Tenzo offered, unable to keep a smile from forming on his face. 

"You want this? " Tsunade asked skeptically. 

Tenzo turned towards Kakashi, who was watching him intensely, his whole body rigid while he waited for Tenzo to answer. "I do, Lady Tsunade." 

The older woman groaned, rubbing her temples. "Fine. Whatever. Just don't make me regret this. "

Tenzo bowed politely. "Of course not. Thank you, Lady Tsunade." 

~

Tenzo followed Kakashi out of the tower, not entirely sure where they stood after all of this. 

"Tenzo, would you like to stay over tonight?" Kakashi asked, his head tilted in a way that made Tenzo's heart stop beating for a moment. He wasn't sure what Kakashi was expecting from him, but it didn't matter. Tenzo was in this for the long haul, and nodded quickly. 

He followed his Senpai to the Hatake compound. Kakashi must've moved out here after he took in the pups. He knew three out of the four were orphans, and it probably wouldn't have taken much for him to take them in. For Sakura, he would only have to convince her parents. 

All four children were busy making dinner, working together seamlessly now that they were back in their home. It was amazing, the effects pack-style living had on them. 

Kakashi kept moving through the house. "Call us when dinner is ready." He said with a smile, pulling his mask down as he walked. By the lack of reaction, all the kids had seen his face before. Tenzo had only seen it twice until today.

Kakashi didn't say anything to him, so he just continued following him into the room he assumed to be his bedroom. Kakashi sat on the end of the bed, patting the space next to him. Tenzo went obediently, sitting close to his senpai and hoping to get some answers. 

"Tenzo… I think we have some things to talk about." Kakashi started, an unusual nervousness coloring his cheeks a pretty pink. Tenzo could hardly focus on that though, not when Kakashi's fangs danced around his tongue when he spoke. 

"Yes. I suppose we do." Tenzo answered with a smile. 

"You… you want to be part of my pack again?" Kakashi asked, failing to keep the hopefulness out of his voice. It wasn't often that Kakashi let his emotions slip out so obviously. 

"Of course. I've missed it a lot, actually." Tenzo answered quietly, staring down at his hands. 

Kakashi reached up, using his hand to tip Tenzo's chin up to look at him. "I've missed you, Tenzo." He admitted softly. 

The vulnerability in Kakashi's one-eyed gaze tore at his heart. He had never meant to avoid his captain in his three year absence from Anbu… but he couldn't bring himself to approach him. Not when Kakashi was finally bathed in light, and Tenzo brought with him the shadows that he had left behind. Instead of answering, he simply leaned in, pulling the older man into his arms. Kakashi nestled into his body comfortably, his nose pressed against his throat. They sat like that, silently enjoying each other's company, until eventually Sai was standing in the doorway. "Dinner is ready." He said with a smile, not seeming to notice or care that they were cuddling on the bed. 

Tenzo followed Kakashi to the kitchen, watching his captain's broad shoulders as he casually strolled through the building. Kakashi seemed at ease here, much more relaxed than he had ever been when he was in Anbu. 

Clearly, having a pack again, along with being in the daylight, has had a wonderful effect on his senpai. Tenzo couldn't help but wonder what sort of effect it will have on him. 

The children watched them as they approached, but only Naruto chose to speak. "Kakashi-sensei, is Captain Yamato going to be joining our pack?" The exuberant blond asked. Tenzo was happy to see that he didn't seem upset with the idea. 

"Yes. He is. But you should call him by his real name from now on." Kakashi said with a smile. He hooked an arm around Tenzo's shoulders and pulled him into his side playfully. "Pups, meet Tenzo. He has been my friend for a long time. If I am ever not around, he is in charge." 

Tenzo blushed under their scrutiny, something Kakashi didn't miss. Pale fingers pulled through his brown hair soothingly, and he couldn't help but lean into the touch. 

Dinner was pleasant. Kakashi's genin told their sensei all about the latest mission, and asked them all sorts of questions about their past together. Of course, a lot of it couldn't be answered with specific details, but the kids accepted the answers anyway. 

After a couple hours of talking with them, Kakashi grabbed Tenzo's wrist, gently nudging him to follow. Tenzo chuckled, following Kakashi through the house once more. The older ninja held the door open for him, and Tenzo invited himself to sit on Kakashi's bed. 

Kakashi sat extremely close , putting his nose straight into his neck. It was weird, having Kakashi be so close after such a long time apart. It was almost like he had never left. 

Tenzo leaned into the touch, resting his weight on his captain as the man just continued to breathe in his scent. 

"What do I smell like?" Tenzo asked quietly. He had always been curious, but never thought to ask until now. Kakashi huffed a laugh, his warm breath puffing against the exposed skin on his throat. "You smell like an oak tree." 

Tenzo chuckled, somehow not surprised. He wondered how different he would smell if he had never been given the mokuton. 

"Tenzo… I wanted to ask you something." Kakashi spoke, nervousness lacing his tone heavily. It wasn't something that Tenzo was used to experiencing from his Senpai, and it threw him off kilter a bit. He didn't answer, just waited for his oldest friend to sort his thoughts out. 

"Would you like… to be my mate?" Kakashi asked, and Tenzo had to immediately fight down a laugh. Kakashi was being serious, and it would crush him if Tenzo laughed at him. 

"Senpai… you know I can't have pups." He answered as seriously as he could. Honestly, he wasn't entirely sure what the man was trying to ask, but his heart was already beating a mile a minute. He knew what he was hoping for … but Tenzo knew better than to place all his bets on a dream. 

Kakashi huffed an awkward laugh, still keeping his face buried against Tenzo. He had a hunch that the older man was blushing. "I know that." Kakashi answered quietly, finally pulling away a bit to meet Tenzo's gaze. "Would you like to be my boyfriend , then?" He said with a shy smile. 

Tenzo had been right. Kakashi's face was bright red, and Tenzo was dumbfounded. Kakashi hadn't been trying to make some weird wolfy joke about having babies… he wanted to be with Tenzo. 

Tenzo was breathless, unable to think about anything other than the fact that Kakashi wanted him. He wanted to be more than friends. 

Evidently, he had remained silent for too long, and Kakashi moved to pull away. Tenzo's hands reacted much faster than his brain, wrapping around the man and crushing him to his chest. "Kakashi… I would love to be your mate." 

Kakashi didn't answer, simply burying himself in Tenzo's arms, his shoulders visibly relaxing as he melted into the hold. Tenzo could hardly keep his emotions in check. Everything he had ever wanted… and Kakashi simply asked for it . Why hadn't he done that? It seemed like such an obvious solution. Of course, Kakashi had asked in the strangest way humanly possible… but Tenzo probably should have expected that. There weren't a lot of things that were considered normal in regards to Kakashi Hatake. 

~

Tenzo went to sleep in Kakashi's bed that night. Kakashi had fallen asleep curled around his back, their legs tangled and his nose pressed into Tenzo's neck. It was pleasantly comfortable. 

He was still comfortable, even in the morning when they were woken up by Naruto jumping onto the bed, and the other three pups standing awkwardly in front of them. Tenzo's eyes cracked open as soon as the mattress moved, quickly identifying the chakra as Naruto's. The only thing that had kept him from jumping up, was the fact that Kakashi's arms had just barely tightened around him to signal that it was okay. 

Tenzo trusted him more than anyone, so he remained in the bed with his new boyfriend. Sai, Sakura, and Sasuke stood in front of him, all three sets of eyes trained on the way the two adults were intertwined. Tenzo was grateful that they hadn't gotten to any sort of frisky business the night before, and were actually wearing underwear under the blanket. 

"Hey pups." Kakashi drawled lazily, even as Naruto was excitedly shouting in his ear. "What's up?" 

Naruto jumped over the both of them, landing next to his teammates with a bright smile on his face. "We wanna go get breakfast!" 

"Yeah." Sakura said with a smile. "To celebrate our newest pack member." 

Sasuke seemed indifferent, but Sai had a cheesy grin. "And to celebrate your new lover." 

Tenzo flushed red immediately, along with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Apparently, they weren't used to comments like that either. Kakashi simply chuckled, the pleasant sound doing wonders to help Tenzo relax again. "Thank you, pups. Of course we can get breakfast." He spoke softly, the smile obvious in his tone. 

~

They walked through town with ease. The kids walked in front, chatting away happily while Kakashi and Tenzo followed. It was easy to feel like a real member of the group, especially when Kakashi kept smiling over at him. 

This was crazy. Tenzo couldn't remember a time where Kakashi seemed so happy. 

Tenzo was pulled from his thoughts when Sasuke dropped back to walk on his left. He was watching the brunet curiously, and Tenzo couldn't help but feel like he was being judged. 

"You're quiet." Sasuke commented. Tenzo wasn't certain if there was a question hidden in there or not, though it seemed Sasuke had a reason for mentioning it. 

"Is that a problem?" Tenzo asked, fighting back a smile when he felt Kakashi's fingers interlocking with his. 

Sasuke pursed his lips. "No. You remind me of Kakashi sometimes." 

"Well, I did train under him." Tenzo mused softly, his smile fighting through his efforts at the comparison to his senpai. 

Sasuke hummed, his black eyes never leaving Tenzo's face. Those eyes narrowed slightly, a movement Tenzo definitely didn't miss. "My sharingan can analyze fighting styles, you know. You two fight similarly… to an extent." 

Tenzo didn't know how to respond to that. Clearly Sasuke was searching for something, and the older man figured it would be best to just wait it out. Kakashi's fingers squeezed as a reassurance, and Tenzo was able to remain calm under this child's scrutiny. 

"Sometimes your style is more similar to Sai's," Sasuke finally commented. 

Ah. There it is. Sai was the pale one that Tsunade had handed him a file for. He had been rescued from Root. Tsunade had rushed the compound like a psychopath, much like Kakashi had done all those years ago, and rescued many children from Danzo's clutches. Sasuke must have been worried about Tenzo's background at the foundation. 

Tenzo hummed, squeezing Kakashi's fingers in return as they continued to approach the restaurant. "Yes, I suppose it would. Our training was very similar." 

"How long?" Sasuke asked vaguely, his eyes narrowed still. 

"Until I was 13. Kakashi-Senpai rescued me." Tenzo said with a soft smile. Sasuke seemed to relax then, his eyes returning to normal and his shoulders dropping their tension. 

Tenzo made a quick decision, reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair affectionately. The pup leaned into it the slightest amount before breaking away to rejoin his teammates up front. 

"He is very protective. Just like Itachi was," Kakashi spoke beside him. There was a pressure on his hand, and Tenzo allowed himself to be pulled closer to his boyfriend. 

"I can tell." Tenzo replied with a smile, turning to see his fondness reflected in the single dark eye. 

"He likes you." Kakashi commented with a smile. "They all do." 

Tenzo was smiling as they entered the restaurant, taking a seat next to Kakashi as the kids all sat across from them. 

They were halfway through their meal when Asuma showed up, his genin in tow once again. "Yamato, right?" He asked, cigarette hanging in his mouth that had yet to be lit. 

"No." Kakashi answered strongly from the side. "His name is Tenzo. " 

Asuma's brows furrowed, but it was one of his students that spoke. The young brunette was a member of the Nara clan from the looks of it. "Why did you tell us your name was Yamato?" 

Tenzo flushed red, running a hand over the back of his neck nervously. "Well… it was an assigned codename for the mission." 

"Codename?" The little blonde girl asked quickly, practically scowling at Tenzo. 

Tenzo froze up, unable to think of a quick excuse. He didn't want to upset any of Kakashi's friends, or any friends of his new pups.

"Yes. He was supposed to go back to Anbu after the mission, but I had him placed on my team permanently instead." Kakashi answered smoothly, reaching over and gently placing his hand behind Tenzo's neck. The contact was just as soothing as always, and Tenzo felt himself melting in place. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and when he opened them again, Asuma and his team were all staring at him. 

"I see." Asuma spoke easily. "You have worked together before." 

You were part of the pack before. 

Tenzo nodded, trying with great difficulty not to purr at the attention Kakashi was giving his neck. 

Tenzo was really missing his mask right now, because Kakashi's hand was smoothing over his shoulders and the back of his neck, and he was sure his face was bright red. He was in love, and that was probably fairly obvious to everyone around. 

Asuma huffed a laugh. "It's good to see you so happy, Kakashi. I guess I'll be seeing you around, Tenzo." 

The group waved goodbye, leaving Tenzo alone with his new pack once again. His family. 

The rest of breakfast went smoothly, and the pack walked home. Tenzo walked with Kakashi's hand gripping his own, a warmth spreading through his bones as he realized this is real. 

Kakashi loved him, and he would never be alone again. 

They walked back into the compound, only for Tenzo to stop in his tracks. The front room was filled with plants. 

Not just any plants. His plants. He would recognize these potted shrubs and flowers in a heartbeat. They were from his apartment. Brown eyes searched the room, seeing piles of his books and little knickknacks that he had collected over the years scattered about. His breath caught, and his eyes watered. 

A shadow clone of Kakashi's walked around the corner, with two Naruto clones following close behind. They were sweaty, having obviously spent the last hour or so moving all of Tenzo's things into the house. 

Tenzo could hardly contain his emotions anymore. They wanted him to live with them ? The thought warmed his heart, and he only realized he was shaking when Kakashi wrapped his pale arms around his shoulders from behind him. Kakashi lovingly nipped at his neck, nuzzling into the soft skin before moving up to his ear. Kakashi whispered the two words that Tenzo had been missing for his entire life. Those simple words that signified that he had finally found a place where he belonged. Tears streaked down his face as the soft murmurings reached his ear, the hold around his shoulders tightening as all four kids, his pups, smiled up at him.

"Welcome home, Tenzo."